Biking Across America

Some dear friends from Calvary Church are embarking on an incredible adventure beginning this weekend. They will begin in Oceanside, Ca and in a little over 8 days bike across America, ending in Annapolis, Maryland!

The team is raising funds through the trip for the Orange County Rescue Mission, BirthChoice Health Clinics and our Calvary Church Restoration project. You can donate to their causes or check out more info about their race by going to www.teamlifechangers.wordpress,com

I am so proud of them and am praying for safety and fast times!

Check out a newspaper article about their trip

The Crucial Role of Pastor's Wives

I am so thankful for my wife! She is truly my co-labour in my vocational ministry as a Pastor.

{Celebrating Lily's Birthday last week}

I truly believe I would:
become burned out
quit
become disillusioned
discouraged
prideful
self-reliant
weak

Without my wife's constant encouragement and influence in my life. She points me to Jesus in ways no one else can!

I was reminded of this just tonight as we walked around our neighborhood after dinner, just walking and talking about an upcoming decision we have to make in ministry.

Then later this evening, I came across this blog entry from Thabiti Anyabwile writing about the power of a praying wife. Anyabwile is a Pastor in the Grand Cayman Islands (by the way Thabiti, I am available for guest speaking at your Church in the Grand Cayman Islands on any weekend) and a council member with the Gospel Coalition. This following appears from a longer blog entry on the Gospel Coalition website which you can read here.

"I know that blogs can be too voyeuristic and can put personal lives on exhibit too often. But I receive great encouragement from my wife’s prayers. She writes to me most days to let me know that she is praying for me. It’s always an encouragement to receive her notes. She’s my beloved, and her prayers remind me that I am hers. I especially appreciate the prayers she sends me when she prays for my preaching. The Lord has a way of making them to be just the right encouragement. For example, I found great help this morning in this prayer she sent to me:

'I’m praying for your sermon preparation and hope you have a fruitful time in the Word and prayer.

I was just looking for a verse to encourage you as you prepare to preach, and found it interesting to look at how “preach” is used in the old and new testaments. In the OT, most often preaching is against a city or rebellion of some sort. In the NT, preaching is often mentioned in the context of preaching the good news, preaching throughout the whole world, preaching to the poor, preaching the kingdom of God, preaching repentance, preaching the gospel, preaching in particular places, preaching Christ (and His unsearchable riches), and preaching to particular people.

So…I pray that you would preach in all these ways, against sin and rebellion toward God, and that you would preach the unsearchable riches of Christ in the gospel, which is good news for all who believe in Him, and which has power to save all those throughout the whole world who repent of their sin and trust in Him. I pray that you would do this boldly and fearlessly, as you should and as the Spirit enables."

Read the rest of this blog entry and other entries by Anyabwile by going here.

7 Weeks: No Eye

I am officially into week 2 of my 7 week journey of having my left eye sewn shut.

Here are some observations:

-I am back to driving my car. (like a 95 year old Grandma...no offense to 95 year old Grandma's)

-My depth perception is similar to a blind wallaby (see driving comment)

-I have officially bumped or tripped into a Target clothes rack, my office desk, a stranger at the grocery store, my garage door and the front 2 steps leading into our house

-Today, I had my first mini bout with feeling claustrophobic, just wanting my eye to open. Think itchy plaster cast, but on your eyeball.

-Having one eye closed, means I can take some great cat naps during Church Staff Meetings

-No, I haven's seen the latest Pirates in 9D Movie.

-God is so faithful and good. I am so thankful to the Lord, for his hand on my life and how He is using this little inconvenience to grow, humble and shape me for God's Glory

Here are some photos from week 1 and 2 of the Journey...

Everytime I Fly, I Think of this Story

Chip and Terry are two dear friends of mine at Calvary Church.
I had no idea Terry had led Chip to Jesus Christ until I heard their story a few years ago
at our Men's Retreat.

Since hearing this incredible story, I have thought about their conversation on the plane each time I myself have boarded an airplane.

My attitude has changed from, "Lord help the person next to me, not to talk to me",
to "Lord, provide a spiritual conversation to take place with those you place me next to."

Catch a glimpse of Terry and Chip's story through this video:

Chip and Terry from Calvary Arts & Media on Vimeo.